23 and concerned

[Pickles]

Just got back from the barbers and have noticed a rather prominent looking cowlick area at the back. I have worn my hair long for the last few years (student life allowed my standards to drop) and this area is not somewhere that has been visible until i got it cut today.

I understand if i am losing hair i am in the relatively early stages so i would like to apologise in advance if this offends anyone. From what i have read this disease is definitely one to be proactive about in terms of getting treatment early so i would just like a second opinion from people with experience before i go wasting a doctor's (and his patients) time. I have included a picture from the front showing how my hairline has changed since the juvenile line.....

Thanks in advance

[fred970]

You're fine.

[PaddyBateman]

Don't waste your time worrying , when you have nothing to worry about as demonstrated by the photos.

[ryan555]

That is completely normal. You don't have hair loss.

[Pickles]

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate the good people on this forum who do so much to advise people who are worried about hairloss & those who are experiencing it.

I don't consider myself out of the woods yet so I will take your word for it for now, wait 3/4 months and look for changes, then act on those accordingly.

Thanks again.

[Johnny Fitness]

I'm glad no one ripped you a new asshole lol.

If you are concerned about hair loss and you are experiencing it, you are catching it early. Not one person on the forum can tell you if you're starting to lose your hair or not especially with no before pictures to compare them too. You'd have to get mapped for miniaturization. As far as not wanting to waste a doctors time, take a few pictures and compare them to new pictures after a few months or whatever.

Some members tend to brush people aside unless you're a NW4+. MPB doesn't make you bald overnight, so if you're concerned....keep an eye on it. Do you have family history of MPB. People with NW4+ once had hair like yours.

[Pickles]

Brief family history - My Mom has 3 brothers, 1 is has a full head (60), 1 is slightly receded (65) and the other is a NW4(54), their father was NW1 until death. Paternal side is flawless in terms for MPB - My Dad and his 2 brothers (all 60+) and their father have barely lost a hair, nor has my older brother.

My hair type is different to theirs (mines is lighter than my uncles, dads,brothers on paternal side), im not sure if this means my follicles and how receptive they are to DHT damage is different to theirs too? can you inherit androgen/follicle traits from your parents without inheriting the colour? Or is it safe to assume if you haven't got their hair colour then you probably don't have follicles that don't succumb to DHT either or could you theortically inherit thickness and MPB traits from one parent, and colour and type from another?

I appreciate that without before pictures you cant compare correctly but unfortunately ive had my hair long since I was 16 (had a buzz cut was a NW1 back then) so pictures are hard to come by. Who knows, maybe those 2 photos will become my before?

[redy]

Keep an eye on it, but do nothing yet.

My hair looked exactly like that when I was 19ish, and midway through 21 I realized it was very thin.

But your hair looks extremely thick right now.

[samdee]

Just got back from the barbers and have noticed a rather prominent looking cowlick area at the back. I have worn my hair long for the last few years (student life allowed my standards to drop) and this area is not somewhere that has been visible until i got it cut today.

I understand if i am losing hair i am in the relatively early stages so i would like to apologise in advance if this offends anyone. From what i have read this disease is definitely one to be proactive about in terms of getting treatment early so i would just like a second opinion from people with experience before i go wasting a doctor's (and his patients) time. I have included a picture from the front showing how my hairline has changed since the juvenile line.....

Thanks in advance

you have good and nice hair, take care of it.

[Shelley79328]

Your hair looks healthy and thick. Most guys in this forum are drooling at your hairline. Always good to get a handle on things before they get out of control. All the advice here is good, do not worry, but watch it closely over the next 2 years. Talk to your barber/stylist (if you see the same one all the time). They know hair and will notice probably before you will if there is any thinning. If it does indeed start to go, you will know and can act quickly. As many other men here have stated, catch it early to slow down the loss, and keep what you have for as long as possible.